In motor vehicles, in particular in motor vehicles with automatic transmission, it is frequently necessary for an electrical shift signal to be generated on firm pressing of a pedal as a gas or drive pedal. In particular on firm pressing of the drive pedal, with the desired strong acceleration of the motor vehicle, thereby the automatic transmission should automatically downshift to the next lower gear stage. For this a corresponding shift signal is required in an intermediate position of the pedal between a rest position and an end position. To avoid undesirable downshifting of the automatic transmission, at the position—i.e. the intermediate pedal position—at which the electric shift point is to be triggered, a mechanical resistance perceptible to the driver should be present, i.e. a clearly perceptible increase in the force at the drive pedal. Such a shift point or shift region in the intermediate position of the pedal is also known as kick-down shift.
DE 10 2005 038 750 A1 shows a kick-down device of a drive pedal module of a motor vehicle which contains a drive pedal which is mounted on a bearing block and can be displaced between a rest position and an end position, wherein the kick-down device has at least one activation element which is axially guided in a recess of the drive pedal or bearing block and has at least one active edge. Furthermore the kick-down device is fitted with a key element which is axially guided in the recess and cooperates with the activation element via at least one roller body and is loaded by at least one compression spring, wherein on activation of the drive pedal up to a defined point, the activation element can be pressed axially into the recess and by its active edge the at least one roller body can be pressed radially out of a transverse recess of the recess and against the key surface of the key element.
DE 100 10 432 A1 shows a kick-down element for a drive pedal module of a vehicle with a housing and an activation element which is axially guided in the housing and is axially displaceable against the force of a return spring and carries two diametrically arranged roller bodies which, on insertion of the activation link into the housing, to increase the displacement force, are pressed away against the force of a U-shaped curved leaf spring over an over-pressure edge, wherein the roller bodies are held in diametrically opposed bearing shells, wherein the leaf spring with two longitudinal spring legs and a cross web connecting these is fixed with its cross web on the floor of the housing and lies with its spring legs under pretension on the bearing shells so that on insertion of the activation element, the roller bodies slide on the outsides of the spring legs facing away from each other, and wherein the over-pressure edges are formed on the face leg ends of the spring legs.
DE 199 18 119 A1 discloses a pedal value sensor arrangement with a pedal which is mounted on the chassis of a motor vehicle and is displaceable between a rest position and an end position. In an intermediate position between the rest position and the end position of the pedal, a tensioning return spring arrangement presses the pedal in the direction of the rest position. Furthermore the pedal value sensor arrangement has a force change device.
DE 10 2004 060 482 A1 discloses a kick-down element for a drive pedal sensor. This comprises a carrier and a housing arranged displaceably in relation to the carrier, wherein between the carrier and the housing is provided an arrangement to generate a force step with a first arm and a second arm, with an allocated first contact surface and an allocated second contact surface, wherein the contact surfaces have different contours.